Two lucky writers got some happy news earlier this month when they were chosen as winners of the 143rd Akutagawa and Naoki prizes. Burgeoning author Akiko Akazome was awarded the Akutagawa for her novel Otome no Mikkoku (“The Anonymous Tip of a Virgin”), which takes up the question of the identity of the person who ...

The increasing complexity of game software story writing and the constant improvements in graphic and production design have sparked a debate within the creative community about their status as works of art. On one side, you have folks like Roger Ebert, who say that video games can never be art (he has since reconsidered this ...

All across Tokyo, preparations are underway for the 33rd annual Sumida River Hanabi Taikai, when approximately 20,000 fireworks will light up the night sky over Asakusa. The two-hour-long spectacle is a competition between rival groups, who strive to outdo each other with stunning displays of everything from traditional warimono hanabi to famous cartoon characters. Known ...

While we hear there are still a few Stone-Age companies that ban employees from sites like Gmail and YouTube, such draconian practices are, for the most part, a thing of the past. Still, even if we’re technically free to browse the interwebs as we please, brazenly checking Twitter under your boss’ watchful eye is perhaps ...

Manga may be the big thing in Japan, but Kinokuniya wants Tokyo-based fans of Western comics to know they’re not forgotten. On July 13, the mega book retailer unveiled Japan’s largest selection of comics at its Shinjuku flagship store. Thanks to a recent renovation, the already impressive stock of English-translated manga has also been expanded—to ...

Goofy comedian Hironari Yamazaki (a.k.a. Zakiyama), one half of popular manzai team Untouchable, goes solo for his very own primetime program. Each episode of Hayarimono Nokkari Variety: Zakiyama ga Kuru!! will see the funnyman head to a different location around Japan to investigate a recent trend. He’ll be accompanied by guest stars drawn from the ...

Given the incredible amount of food porn to be found on Japanese TV, it’s a wonder that there aren’t more programs like this. TV Tokyo’s Kaiten! Dream Shop is a documentary-style show about chefs struggling to open the restaurants of their dreams. This week’s episode showcases two very different restaurateurs: lifelong noodle buff Shibamori, who ...

Author Manabu Miyazaki, a self-described “freelance yakuza,” has filed a lawsuit against Fukuoka Prefecture in a case involving gangsters, comics and censorship. The prominent writer and social critic—who gained an international following with the 2005 English translation of his memoir, Toppamono: Outlaw, Radical, Suspect, My Life in Japan’s Underworld—claims that the Fukuoka government infringed on ...

No handheld console in history has come close to the Nintendo DS in terms of market success. Since its 2004 release, the device has had three makeovers—the DS Lite, the DSi and, last fall, the DSi XL. The fact that practically every Japanese citizen owns one of these likely inspired Nintendo to remake the console ...

Last January, university student Yukie Doi set out with a mission: to hitchhike the length of Japan using Twitter. The enterprising 19-year-old, who tweets as @yukie0339, managed to freeload her way from one destination to the next by putting out calls for people to give her a ride or let her crash for the night. ...

In anticipation of the late-2010 big-name releases, here are the titles we’re most looking forward to: Gran Turismo V: greatest racer ever—need we say more? Fallout: New Vegas: a truly immersive experience Metroid: Other M (pictured): back in top form once again Castlevania: Lords of Shadow: long-awaited series re-“vamp” (get it?) The Last Guardian: on ...